Combined scrubbing and drying machine



May 28, 1963 K. SKINAS 3,090,932

COMBINED SCRUBBING AND DRYING MACHINE Filed 001. 17, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IlE'C 3 IN V EN TOR.

KosMAs SKINAS ATToRNE'Y's United States 3,090,982 COMBINED SCRUBBING AND DRYING MACHINE Kosmas Skinas, 23 Allison St., San Francisco, Calif. Filed Oct. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 63,004 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-99) The present invention relates to improvements in a combined scrubbing and drying machine. It has particular reference to improvements over the Automatic Washing Mop and Floor Dryer shown in my United States Letters Patent No. 2,947,012, dated August 2, 1960.

In the above-identified patent, there is disclosed an automatic washing mop and floor dryer having a main frame supported on wheels so that it may be rolled about over a floor to be cleaned. This main frame supports a floor-cleaning member which may be reciprocated back and forth for scrubbing the floor. Moreover, this same cleaning member is utilized for mopping and drying the floor. However, it is necessary to detach the cleaning member from its supporting structure from time to time, when it becomes saturated with dirty Water, in order to subject the cleaning member to the action of a wringer, thus squeezing the dirty water therefrom.

As the cardinal object of the present invention, it is proposed to provide a drying mop having a wringer associated therewith in such a manner as to automatically squeeze the dirty water from the drying mop, Without detaching the latter. Thus a floor, or the like, may be scrubbed by the reciprocating floor-cleaning member, and the floor dried by the drying mop, all in one continuous operation, and without requiring any disassembly of the machine.

More specifically described, it is proposed to provide a combined scrubbing and drying machine, in which the scrubbing member is mounted for longitudinal reciprocation, while a loop-shaped drying mop is movable in a transverse direction. The drying mop is disposed rearwardly of the scrubbing member and both coact to thoroughly clean the floor. As the drying mop is rotated, it will remove dirty water from the floor, or the like, and this drying mop passes through a wringer so as to automatically squeeze the accumulated water from the drying mop.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined scrubbing and drying machine, which is compact in construction, durable and efiicient for the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification continues. The novel features will be set forth in the appended claims.

Drawings For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of my combined scrubbing and drying machine; 7

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the vertical plane IIIIII of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the horizontal plane IV--IV of FIGURE 2;

' FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken along the vertical plane VV of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the vertical plane VIVI of FIGURE 2.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes, or modifications, may be made within the scope of the annexed claims without departing from the spirit thereaesaesz Patented May 28, 1963 Detailed Description Referring now to the drawings in detail, I have shown a main supporting frame indicated generally at A in FIGURES 1 and 2. This frame is supported on a pair of rear wheels 10 and a pair of front dolly wheels 11. The frame A defines longitudinally extending side bars 12 that are spaced apart in parallel relation with one another. As illustrated in FIGURE 3, a transverse member 13 is provided as part of the main frame A, and has depending brackets 13 on which the dolly wheels 11 are mounted.

It Will be apparent from FIGURE 2 that the main frame A is disposed at a suitable elevation above a floor B, or the like, over which the wheels 10 and 11 are adapted to roll. The trailing end of this frame is provided with a handle 14, whereby the combined scrubbing and drying machine may be moved by an operator with facility and case.

With particular reference to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, it will be noted that a cradle frame C is arranged between the main frame A and the floor B, and this cradle frame is mounted for up and down adjustments. For this purpose, threaded bolts 15' are rotatably carried by brackets 16 fixed to the side bars 12 (see FIGURE 2). These adjustment bolts are held against axial movement and are threaded into the cradle frame C, whereby the latter may be raised, or lowered, by turning the bolts 15 in the proper directions.

The cradle frame C has a portion C projecting in front of the main frame A. and adjacent to the floor B at a low elevation so as to be movable underneath a piece of furniture. Moreover, a T shaped horizontal screen D is supported by the cradle frame C for longitudinal reciprocation. For this reason, the cradle frame C is made from a pair of spaced box beams 17 (see FIGURES 3 and 6), which are arranged in parallel relation with one another and extend longitudinally of the main frame A. Moreover, a plurality of rollers 18 are disposed to ride along the interiors of the box beams 17 (see FIGURES 3, 4 and 6). The box beams define slots 19 in their confronting faces through which axles 20 of these rollers extend (see FIGURE 6). The axles 20 are secured to blocks 21, and the latter are carried by strips 22 that are fastened to the screen D by any suitable means, such as bolts 23 (see FIGURES 4 and 6).

In order to reciprocate the screen D, I have provided a motor E, the latter being mounted on the main frame A (see FIGURES 2, 3 and 4). This motor drives a gear reduction unit 24, and the output shaft of the latter is provided with a crank arm 25. It will be observed that a pitman 26 has its rear end swingably attached to the crank arm 25, while the front end of this pitman is swingably connected to a bracket 27 which is fixed to the screen D. Thus the rotation of the motor B will result in reciprocating the screen D back and forth and lengthwise of the cradle frame C.

It will be noted that a floor-scrubbing member F is removably attached to the underneath surface of the screen D by any suitable means, such as spring clips 28. This scrubbing member may be made from appropriate material, such as fabric secured to a canvas backing 29 (see FIGURE 6).

In order to deliver a cleaning liquid, such as water and detergent, to the floor-scrubbing member F, I provide a lower tank G (see FIGURES 2 and 3). This tank is supported by the main frame A. A liquid-conveying pipe 30 leads from the tank G, and has a valve 31 therein arranged to control outflow of the cleaning liquid from this tank (see FIGURE 2). Moreover, a transverse sprinkler pipe 32 communicates with the forward end of the pipe 30, and is supported to extend horizontally above including the wing portions D the floor-scrubbing member -F. Gbviously, the liquid from the tank G will be delivered through the pipes 36 and 32 to the screen D for downward flow into the floorscrubbing member F.

Particular attention is called to the fact that the screen D has wing portions D at its forward part, and that these wing portions extend laterally at least to the outer limits of the rear wheels It). Also, the floor-scrubbing member F is Wide enough to extend the full distance between the lateral edges of the forward part of the screen D,

These structural features will permit a floor to be scrubbed adjacent to a wall.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 4, the screen D has a main body portion D that extends longitudinally of the cradle frame C, and this portion of the screen is fashioned with elongated openings 33 therein. The front dolly wheels 11 project downwardly through the openings 33; and the latter have sufficient length to permit the screen D to be reciprocated by the throw of the crank 25, without the screen striking the depending brackets 13'.

Referring to IGURES l, 2 and 4, I have indicated angle bars 34 to which auxiliary cleaning members (not shown) may be detachably secured, in the manner disclosed in my United States Patent No. 2,947,012, and for the purpose of cleaning the lower portions of walls or reaching into crowded spaces.

For the purpose of removing the dirty water from the floor B, I have provided a drying mop designated generally at H in FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 5. This drying mop is loop-shaped and it is trained over pairs of intermediate and lower lateral rollers 35 and 36, respectively (see FIGURE All of these rollers have their axis of rotation extending longitudinally of the main frame A and are parallel with one another. A pair of standards 37 are fixed to each lateral side of the main frame A and serve as supports for the rollers 35 and 36. It will be seen that the lower rollers 35 are accommodated in recesses D defined by the wing portions'D and the main body portion D of the screen.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the lower end of each standard 37 is deflected outwardly. This arrangement will space the pair of lower rollers 36 apart at a greater distance than the spacing between the intermediate rollers 35 (see FIGURE 5), thus allowing a floor to be dried adjacent to a wall.

In order to impart rotary movement to the looped drying mop H, I have secured a pair of sprockets 38 to the opposite ends of each of the rollers 35 and 36. An endless chain 39 is guided over the sprockets 38 at each end of these rollers; in other words, two chains 39 are provided. The mechanism for driving these chains, and thereby turning all of the rollers 35 and 36 in unison, will be set forth presently.

For the purpose of squeezing dirty water from the endless mop H, I have provided a wringer designated generally at J in FIGURES 1 to 3, inclusive. This wringer 46 that is fixed to a rotatably supported shaft 47. As indicated in FIGURES l and 2, the shaft 47 has a driven sprocket 43 fixed thereto, which is connected by a chain 49 to a driven sprocket 50 on the output shaft of the gear reduction unit 24 (see FIGURE 4). Thus the motor E will operate to turn the lower roller 42 and thereby rotate the drying mop H through the wringer I.

As the dirty water is squeezed out of the drying mop H, this water will fall into a fixed catch pan 51, and the water will be conveyed through an outlet pipe 52 to a dirty water storage tank K. This tank is supported on the main frame A, and may be removed therefrom so that its contents may be emptied. As shown in FIGURE 3, the machine has an open front through which the storage tank K may be removed for emptying purposes.

As an important structural feature, it should be noted that the drying mop H has a broad and flat lower reach H that extends between the lower rollers 36 (see FIG- URE 5). This lower reach will engage the floor over a wide area and will effect a thorough drying of the floor, covering the entire strip of the floor previously scrubbed by the member F.

After the looped drying mop H has become soiled, clean water may be delivered thereto from an upper water tank L, the latter being removably mounted on the top of the lower tank G. This clean water may be conveyed through a pipe 53, when a control valve 54 in this pipe is opened. As illustrated in FIGURES l, 2 and 3, the pipe 53 has a longitudinally extending sprinkler section'SS that overlies the upper reach H of the looped drying mop H. As this clean water is sprayed over the mop H, the latter may be advanced through the wringer J, and this will result in cleaning the drying mop.

However, it is desirable to remove the mop H from time to time so that it may be thoroughly washed and dried. For this reason, the mop is formed from a strip 56 of suitable material, and the abutting ends 57 of this strip may be detachably connected together by any suitable fastening means, such as a conventional zipper 58 (see FIGURE 5). The strip 56 may be formed ofsponge rubber, which is bonded to a backing strip 59 so as to reinforce the sponge rubber strip 56. This backing strip contacts with the rollers 35, 36 and 42, and may be detachably anchored to the driving chains 39 so as to assure positive advancement of the drying mop H through the wringer I and over the floor B being dried.

There are several distinct advantages resulting from the mounting of the looped drying mop H so as to extend transversely relative to the main supporting frame A. In the first place, the looped mop H extends around the main body portion D of the screen D, with the lower rollers 36 being accommodated in the recesses D (see FIGURE 4). This arrangement will materially reduce the over-all length of the machine. Secondly, the motor E, the dirty water tank K and the catch pan 51 may be 7 mounted in the hollow space provided on the interior is mounted on a pair of transverse bars 40, which are fixed to the upper ends of the standards 37 to extend transversely relative to the main frame A. This wringer defines upper and lower rubber rollers 41 and 42, respectively, which are spaced apart so that the upper reach H of the looped mop H may pass there between (see FIGURE 5). The lower roller 42 has a pair of sprockets 43 fixed to its opposite ends (see FIGURES l, 2 and 3) and over which the endless chains 39 pass. Thus the lower roller 42 may be driven positively. The rollers 41 and 42 extend lengthwise of the machine in parallel relation with the rollers 35 and 36.

In order to drive the roller 42, and thereby rotate all of the rollers 35 and 36 by means of the pair of endless chains 39, the roller 42 has its shaft 44 provided with a gear 45 fixedthereto (see FIGURE 1). The shaft '44 .is fixed to the roller 42; and, therefore, this roller will be turned by the gear 45. The latter meshes with a pinion of the looped mop H (see FIGURE 3). Thirdly, the transverse movement of the lower reach H will effect a better drying of the floor B, which has been previously scrubbed by longitudinal reciprocation of the floor-scrubbing member F. Fourthly, the hollow space of the looped mop H will provide room for the free movement of the pitman 26, as the latter is actuated by the crank arm 25 during the scrubbing operation.

It will be apparent from FIGURES 1, 3 and 4 that the floor-scrubbing member F defines opposite lateral edges 60, and that the lower reach H has sufiicient length to extend the full length of the distance between these-opposite lateral edges 60. With this arrangement,- the drying mop H Will effect a drying of the floor'B, covering the entire width of the strip previously scrubbed by the floorscrubbing member. This is an important structural feature of the machine.

I claim:

1. In a combined scrubbing and drying machine: a main frame supported for movement over a floor or the like to be cleaned; a floor-scrubbing member supported from the main frame in a position to engage with the floor, and being mounted for longitudinal reciprocations relative to the main frame; means for delivering a cleaning liquid to the floor-scrubbing member; a looped drying mop disposed rearwardly of the floor-scrubbing member and being supported from the main frame to extend transversely relative to the length of the main frame, and being mounted for movement around an endless path; the looped drying mop defining a broad and flat lower reach positioned to engage with the scrubbed floor for drying the latter; and means operable to reciprocate the floor-scrubbing member longitudinally and to move the looped drying mop transversely relative to the main frame, whereby the floor will be dried by paths of movement of the drying mop crisscrossing the previous paths of movement of the floor-scrubbing member, as the main frame is advanced over the floor or the like; the means operable to actuate the floor-scrubbing member and the looped drying mop including a motor mounted in the hollow interior space defined by the looped drying mop to thereby provide a compact arrangement.

2. In a combined scrubbing and drying machine: a main frame supported for longitudinal movement over a floor or the like to be cleaned; a looped drying mop supported from the main frame to extend transversely relative to the lengths of the main frame, and being mounted for movement around an endless path; the looped drying mop defining a broad and flat lower reach positioned to engage with a scrubbed floor for drying the latter; means operable for advancing the looped drying mop around said endless path in a direction extending transversely relative to the direction in which the main frame is moved; a wringer engaging with the looped drying mop so as to squeeze accumulated liquid therefrom as the drying mop is moved along said endless path; a catch pan mounted in a fixed position under the wringer to receive liquid squeezed from the drying mop by the wringer; a removable storage tank communicating with the catch pan to receive liquid draining from the catch pan; both the catch pan and the storage tank being disposed in the hollow interior space defined by the looped drying m'op to thereby provide a compact arrangement; the machine having an open front through which the storage tank may be removed for emptying purposes while leaving the catch pan in place.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 990,775 Reid Apr. 25, 1911 1,271,629 Tatulis July 9, 1918 2,947,012 Skinas Aug. 2, 1960 

1. IN A COMBINED SCRUBBING AND DRYING MACHINE: A MAIN FRAME SUPPORTED FOR MOVEMENT OVER A FLOOR OR THE LIKE TO BE CLEANED; A FLOOR-SCRUBBING MEMBER SUPPORTED FROM THE MAIN FRAME IN A POSITION TO ENGAGE WITH THE FLOOR, AND BEING MOUNTED FOR LONGITUDINAL RECIPROCATIONS RELATIVE TO THE MAIN FRAME; MEANS FOR DELIVERING A CLEANING LIQUID TO THE FLOOR-SCRUBBING MEMBER; A LOOPED DRYING MOP DISPOSED REARWARDLY OF THE FLOOR-SCRUBBING MEMBER AND BEING SUPPORTED FROM THE MAIN FRAME TO EXTEND TRANSVERSELY RELATIVE TO THE LENGTH OF THE MAIN FRAME, AND BEING MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT AROUND AN ENDLESS PATH; THE LOOPED DRYING MOP DEFINING A BOARD AND FLAT LOWER REACH POSITIONED TO ENGAGE WITH THE SCRUBBED FLOOR FOR DRYING THE LATTER; AND MEANS OPERABLE TO RECIPROCATE THE FLOOR-SCRUBBING MEMBER LONGITUDINALLY AND TO MOVE THE LOOPED DRYING MOP TRANSVERSLY RELATIVE TO THE MAIN FRAME, WHEREBY THE FLOOR WILL BE DRIED BY PATHS OF MOVMENT OF THE DRYING MOP CRISSCROSSING THE PREVIOUS PATHS OF MOVEMENT OF THE FLOOR-SCRUBBING MEMBER, AS THE MAIN FRAME IS ADVANCED OVER THE FLOOR OR THE LIKE; THE MEANS OPERABEL TO ACTUATE THE FLOOR-SCRUBBING MEMBER AND THE LOOPED DRYING MOP INCLUDING A MOTOR MOUNTED IN THE HOLLOW INTERIOR SPACE DEFINED BY A LOOPED DRYING MOP TO THEREBY PROVIDE A COMPACT ARRANGEMENT. 